Lat "shrugs"

gimmejuice · Feb 17, 2009

When I do lat pull-downs, my lats themselves can handle much more weight than I'm actually able to pull all the way down with my rear-delts and arms.

So, after a couple lat pull-down type exercises, I do this:

Either using my bodyweight from a pullup bar, or loading up the cable lat pull-down machine, I relax and stretch my lats out, then contract them and squeeze. I do these "shrug-like" reps, and though the motion is only about 5-6 inches, I can tell it really pumps my lats.

This way, my lats are being exercised with much more weight than I can use doing normal pulldowns.

Anyone else ever try this? I dig it.

fGJ

full_belly · Feb 17, 2009

good work bud. its a very useful exercises poturally, esp if your not leaning back too much, it recruits a lot of lower traps when you keep shoulders retracted and "reverse shrug"...

DatBtrue · Feb 17, 2009

gimmejuice said:
Anyone else ever try this? I dig it.

See: Shrug Variations by Paul Kelso

The Lat Flair: Inexperienced bodybuilders often have trouble developing the extreme flair or outspread needed for a lat pose. Muscle control is involved and the complaint is that the scapula won’t cooperate. Try this: stand in the cable crossover machine with it set on high pulley. Arms should be extended straight out to the side or slightly up and forward. (The height of he lifter may be a factor; some do this movement seated.). Use enough weight so that the relaxed arms are stretched and the lats and scapula are under strong stress. The feel should be one of semi-dislocation. Then, without bending the arms, shrug the scapula toward each other while concentrating on the lower trap area as a focus. Return to full stretch, keeping the weight under control. Reps in the 10 to 12 range result in increased scapular mobility, muscle delineation and striations of the entire area involved.

cowsryummy · Feb 17, 2009

I've never been able to do more than the 150 dumbbells for shrugs, but using a cable is a great idea. Thanks!

hellraiser27 · Feb 18, 2009

gimmejuice said:
When I do lat pull-downs, my lats themselves can handle much more weight than I'm actually able to pull all the way down with my rear-delts and arms.

So, after a couple lat pull-down type exercises, I do this:

Either using my bodyweight from a pullup bar, or loading up the cable lat pull-down machine, I relax and stretch my lats out, then contract them and squeeze. I do these "shrug-like" reps, and though the motion is only about 5-6 inches, I can tell it really pumps my lats.

This way, my lats are being exercised with much more weight than I can use doing normal pulldowns.

Anyone else ever try this? I dig it.

fGJ

Hmmm, I have never done this. I will try it. It makes sense.

gimmejuice · Feb 18, 2009

hellraiser27 said:
Hmmm, I have never done this. I will try it. It makes sense.

At first you'll feel silly, and people around will probably just think you don't know what you're doing.

However, the pump feels pretty sweet after a couple of heavy sets.

I might use ~2X my normal pulldown weight, and make about 15-20 of these short shrug-like reps. 2-3 sets.

Let me know how it works out.

hellraiser27 · Feb 18, 2009

Cool. I don't worry about what other people think. If its effective then I do it.
Funny thing is, when you do things like this, all of a sudden you start seeing other people doing it.
For some reason I have never thought of doing this, but it sounds like it should work.

EDED · Feb 18, 2009

ive tried it lastnight but it was at the end of my back workout so maybe my scaps were burned out, couldnt really squeeze. will try again fresh next time.

i even tried dat's find using the cable cross machine,, that was pretty fun, i didnt move much it was mostly my face expression that changed instead ahahhaha

gimmejuice, are you doing this for lats or for scapular/traps?

to spin off this, hang on the pull up bar wide grip and 'open' your scap, with your arms locked straight attempt to raise your whole body just using lats (flairing out the whole time), so body coming up slightly almost to parallel to the ground. i read something similar somehwere for developing lower lat flair. not my idea.

anybody else do wall slides? super set that with rope row to your neck

gimmejuice · Feb 18, 2009

EDED said:
gimmejuice, are you doing this for lats or for scapular/traps?

Primarily lats. I'm pulling almost entirely verticle (downward), while sitting almost stright up. This is in the case of using a lat cable pull-down machine, or hanging from a pullup bar.

I've done this with hammer strength pulldown machines, which incorporates some "rearward" motion. I used to do these with just one arm at a time.